Musician, gerontologist, and creative aging advocate Emily Christensen shares how Utah’s first-ever Creative Aging Festival transformed a statewide network into a joyful celebration of art, aging, and community.
When Utah-based musician and gerontologist Emily Christensen began bringing together local artists and organizations to discuss creative aging, she had no idea it would grow into a two-week festival spanning the entire state.
“We had in place a Utah Creative Aging Coalition that started before COVID,” Emily recalled. “It consisted of teaching artists, older adult organizations, and arts organizations—basically everyone who plays a role in creative aging.”
The pandemic temporarily halted their work, but when the group reconvened, the energy was electric. “We just had a meeting to say, here we all are, here’s a cause we believe in—what can we do to further it?” With three clear goals—to expand creative aging programs, strengthen statewide networks, and shift perceptions of aging—the idea for a festival took root. That spark became Kaleidoscope: Aging with the Creative Spirit, Utah’s first statewide Creative Aging Festival, held August 30th-September 13th and celebrating creativity, connection, and community across the state.
As Emily began researching models for what this could look like, she found unexpected inspiration from across the Atlantic. “I started looking around at Creative Aging Festivals and found one in Ireland that’s a month-long event throughout the country,” she said. “I thought—that’s such a great idea! Utah’s about the same size geographically, so why not model ours on that?”
This seed of an idea—nurtured by strong regional partnerships with the Utah Division of Arts & Museums, the Commission on Aging, the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Cambia Health Foundation, and others—gave the festival solid ground to thrive and grow.
When asked how Lifetime Arts’ consulting shaped the festival, Emily didn’t hesitate. “In being a grantor [via a sub-award]*, and by coming out several times to provide training for people in Utah, they helped us build this army of teaching artists,” she said.
That foundation was critical. Years of collaboration through Lifetime Arts’ training programs and curriculum guidance gave Utah the structure it needed to make creative aging flourish.
Lifetime Arts’ consulting process also helped shape the strategy and scale of the festival:
For a first-year effort, the results were nothing short of inspiring. “Everything was full to overflowing,” Emily laughed. “It was really encouraging—proof that people want this kind of programming.”
Emily shared early data from the coalition’s research partnership with The University of Utah, where a gerontology professor is leading a full evaluation study:
The kick-off event alone in Salt Lake City had 229 attendees, where 100 older adults exhibited their artwork.
In a single day, 8 classes and 4 performances happened all at full capacity—and classes sold out three weeks early!
Artists from every state county led programming and events.
An intergenerational mix of participants! Younger family members and volunteers also joined in for performances and exhibits.
Credit: Lansia Wann, Utah Division of Arts and Museums
As the festival unfolded, Emily witnessed the true power of creative aging—people rediscovering themselves through art, community, and connection.
When people participate in these programs, they find a renewed sense of purpose. They see aging not as an ending, but as a creative evolution.
Emily Christensen, Musician and Gerontologist
From concerts and classes to shared laughter and new friendships, the Utah Creative Aging Festival became more than a calendar of events—it became a cultural shift. “We wanted to include the whole state—not just a Salt Lake City thing,” Emily added. “This is about belonging. Every county, every artist, every older adult deserves to be part of it.”
Now, as the inaugural festival wraps up its first year, Emily’s already dreaming ahead. “This is just the beginning,” she said. “We’re building something that will last—a tradition that honors creativity at every age and reminds us that getting older is something to celebrate.”
This festival was part of the Creative Aging in the West initiative, a two-year initiative designed to build a regional coalition to ensure that older adults across Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, Montana, and Idaho have meaningful opportunities to connect, learn, and thrive through the arts. Read our latest blog to learn more about the project’s impact and connect with us today to grow creative aging across YOUR state.
*Grant funds dispersed from Lifetime Arts were a subaward from the larger project grant supporting Creative Aging in the West.
Emily Christensen is a gerontologist and music therapist working as the Arts and Aging Coordinator for Jewish Family Service of Utah. In this role she facilitates the Gleeful Choir (a chorus for people with dementia and their caregivers) and the Exploring Creativity program, a weekly online art education class for adults 55+. Emily coordinates the Utah Creative Aging Coalition, a state-wide organization bringing together teaching artists, arts organizations and older-adult serving organizations to promote Creative Aging in Utah. Additionally, Emily is the owner of Crescendo Music Therapy, where she and her team provide music therapy services to hospice agencies across Utah. She lives in Ogden Utah, where she revels in music, art, gardening and exploring Utah’s amazing wilderness.
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